USS Nimitz 'Tic Tac' Encounter

Overview

On November 14, 2004, the USS Nimitz Carrier Strike Group was conducting a routine training exercise about 100 miles southwest of San Diego when the USS Princeton's AN/SPY-1 radar detected multiple anomalous targets dropping from above 80,000 feet to 50 feet over the ocean in seconds. Two F/A-18F Super Hornets from VFA-41 were vectored to intercept. Commander David Fravor, the squadron commander, visually acquired a smooth, white, oblong object roughly 40 feet long with no wings, exhaust, or visible propulsion. The object mirrored his approach and then accelerated away at a velocity Fravor described as 'faster than anything I have ever seen'. Twenty minutes later it was reacquired at the pre-briefed CAP point, suggesting it knew where the fighters had been told to go. The encounter was recorded by a second flight's ATFLIR pod, producing the now-famous FLIR1 footage.

Timeline

1. 2004-11-10

   USS Princeton's AN/SPY-1 radar begins tracking multiple anomalous contacts intermittently over the next four days.

2. 2004-11-14 ~10:00

   Princeton vectors two F/A-18F Super Hornets to intercept a fresh contact.

3. ~10:30

   Commander David Fravor visually acquires a 40 ft Tic Tac-shaped object hovering above a disturbance in the water.

4. ~10:35

   Object mirrors Fravor's approach, then accelerates away at extreme velocity.

5. ~11:00

   Object reacquired at the pre-briefed CAP rendezvous 60 miles away, implying knowledge of mission plan.

6. ~11:15

   Second F/A-18F flight records FLIR1 ATFLIR footage.

7. 2007-12

   FLIR1 video leaked online but largely ignored.

8. 2017-12-16

   To The Stars Academy publishes the FLIR1 video. New York Times publishes 'Glowing Auras and Black Money'.

9. 2020-04-27

   U.S. Department of Defense formally authenticates the video.

Known Facts

• Radar tracks measured velocity changes from 80,000+ ft to 50 ft in approximately 0.78 seconds.
• Visual contact by four trained military pilots from VFA-41 'Black Aces'.
• Object exhibited no visible means of propulsion, exhaust, or control surfaces.
• FLIR1 footage was officially declassified and released by the DoD in 2020.
• Investigated by the Pentagon's AATIP and later AAWSAP programs.
• Subject of Senate Armed Services Committee briefings beginning in 2019.

Media Evidence

Related Cases

Source Material

• To The Stars Academy, FLIR1 release (2017)
• DoD Public Affairs statement (2020)
• Senate Intelligence Authorization Act 2022, UAP provisions

Archive Notes